My Company From the Start

Alright, well I have been searching this site for a few years now and learned a ton from the people on here. I started out cutting some neighbors yards at 12 while also working at my neighbors lawn mower shop, but with school and such it was off and on until I hit 16 and had a Buick and a push mower. I mowed for one summer like that, but ended up getting a job (Kroger, I know, hit the big times) and not doing the lawn gig. I had been around landscaping since I was born due to my dad owning a large company here, but moved it to Arizona. I've known since I was young that deep down I always wanted my own company, so I worked at getting back into it, and have worked hard so far to get where I am now. My company is still very small compared to the large companies in my area, but I work at getting bigger every day. When I turned 18 I left Kroger and got a job at an apartment complex as maintenance, where I am working now. I have a few people in my corner giving me moral support, however a lot that just say I will crash and burn. The people on this site have given me a lot of hope for my own company.

That was last year, and over the course of the year I was able to save money from Kroger and finance an F150, and while working full time at the apartments, I worked part time doing lawns out of the back of my truck. I became an LLC, and covered my company completely with liability insurance from the get go. I decided to go the road less traveled and did not go to school after high school. I know that is something that is looked down on, but I sacrificed my school for my business. I know I could learn much more, but working full time + my business runs 10 hour days and the money outweighed the schooling right now. I by no means come from a high income family, so financially I saw it as the best option, and this is basically my future on my shoulders. I have 20+ books I've bought and read, and with my dad being a landscape architect/nursery grower, I look to him to be as much of a teacher as anyone, even being 2500 miles away. When I am full time with my lawn company only, I want to look at education to get my landscape architectural license.

So, sorry for the life story, I'll get on to the pictures. I wanted to start a thread, like many on here, that will document my work and equipment over time. I hope I can continue to work and grow, and hopefully amass the success that most contribute to this site. It will be hard work, but I feel I can do it. I know I have a lot of competition in my area, but I would like to look more to them as mentors, not as much competitors. I mean, they got to where they are today for some reason, right?

Right now I don't have much in terms of equipment, but look to get more as I continue to get more accounts lined up.

Thanks! Yeah I figured go big at first to save money in the long run. I plan on getting a bigger walk behind or zero turn this year. And right now I have 10 accounts lined up for 2013, trying to get more. I'm still working at the apartments. I want about 35 before I leave there.

Alright, well I have been searching this site for a few years now and learned a ton from the people on here. I started out cutting some neighbors yards at 12 while also working at my neighbors lawn mower shop, but with school and such it was off and on until I hit 16 and had a Buick and a push mower. I mowed for one summer like that, but ended up getting a job (Kroger, I know, hit the big times) and not doing the lawn gig. I had been around landscaping since I was born due to my dad owning a large company here, but moved it to Arizona. I've known since I was young that deep down I always wanted my own company, so I worked at getting back into it, and have worked hard so far to get where I am now. My company is still very small compared to the large companies in my area, but I work at getting bigger every day. When I turned 18 I left Kroger and got a job at an apartment complex as maintenance, where I am working now. I have a few people in my corner giving me moral support, however a lot that just say I will crash and burn. The people on this site have given me a lot of hope for my own company.

That was last year, and over the course of the year I was able to save money from Kroger and finance an F150, and while working full time at the apartments, I worked part time doing lawns out of the back of my truck. I became an LLC, and covered my company completely with liability insurance from the get go. I decided to go the road less traveled and did not go to school after high school. I know that is something that is looked down on, but I sacrificed my school for my business. I know I could learn much more, but working full time + my business runs 10 hour days and the money outweighed the schooling right now. I by no means come from a high income family, so financially I saw it as the best option, and this is basically my future on my shoulders. I have 20+ books I've bought and read, and with my dad being a landscape architect/nursery grower, I look to him to be as much of a teacher as anyone, even being 2500 miles away. When I am full time with my lawn company only, I want to look at education to get my landscape architectural license.

So, sorry for the life story, I'll get on to the pictures. I wanted to start a thread, like many on here, that will document my work and equipment over time. I hope I can continue to work and grow, and hopefully amass the success that most contribute to this site. It will be hard work, but I feel I can do it. I know I have a lot of competition in my area, but I would like to look more to them as mentors, not as much competitors. I mean, they got to where they are today for some reason, right?

Right now I don't have much in terms of equipment, but look to get more as I continue to get more accounts lined up.

My Stealth 33" and my Ariens 21"

6x12 Dual Ramp Trailer

Back End of Truck & Trailer

Shot of Current Equipment, Minus Handtools/ETC

I'll get more pictures as I go, thanks for looking!

Click to expand...

I started the same way. I was so happy I had a trailer I was riding around with the weedeater, blower and 22inch push mower tied to each other in the middle of a 6x12 trailer lol, but now the space is taken. Looks nice man.

In the meantime with that trailer, looks exactly like the one I want to get mid-season this year from lows, you can turn half of it into a leaf box if you wanted instead of putting the box on your truck for spring cleanups. I was thinking of doing that this year once I get my trailer.

Good luck, I should probably post some photos of my start-up this year.

HDL LandscapingMansfield, MA

2006 Chevy Silverado 1500
Some Mowers
Some Blowers
Some Trimmers
Misc. Other Tools

I started the same way. I was so happy I had a trailer I was riding around with the weedeater, blower and 22inch push mower tied to each other in the middle of a 6x12 trailer lol, but now the space is taken. Looks nice man.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah after working out of the back of my truck I am so happy to have a trailer. Trailer space is like a garage, it can never be too big!

In the meantime with that trailer, looks exactly like the one I want to get mid-season this year from lows, you can turn half of it into a leaf box if you wanted instead of putting the box on your truck for spring cleanups. I was thinking of doing that this year once I get my trailer.

Good luck, I should probably post some photos of my start-up this year.

Click to expand...

Funny you say that because that's where I bought it. I was a little worried about the quality but when I found out it was made by Carry-On I pulled the trigger and bought it. If I land a lot of cleanups I'm going to rig something up just like that on the back half of the trailer.

Funny you say that because that's where I bought it. I was a little worried about the quality but when I found out it was made by Carry-On I pulled the trigger and bought it. If I land a lot of cleanups I'm going to rig something up just like that on the back half of the trailer.

Click to expand...

I knew it looked familiar, hopefully I will get mine this season. Id love to see the pictures of it if you do the box on it, I was going to put my box on the front, but the back might be easier to unload using the wider tailgate... I forgot about the side gate to load mowers so thats a good idea! Good luck this season!

HDL LandscapingMansfield, MA

2006 Chevy Silverado 1500
Some Mowers
Some Blowers
Some Trimmers
Misc. Other Tools